This post first appeared on my blog in December 2007. I have some new readers since then and thought it would be a fun post to re-share.

KNOCK-KNOCK-KNOCK! An urgent sound was coming from the cold side of the front door. It was about 8 p.m. on Christmas Eve, and someone was knocking. I was no older than 7, and my parents wanted me to answer the door.

“What? Why me?” I thought. This had never happened before. I was curious. And with my parents’ encouragement, I obediently opened the front door, letting in a swirl of brisk winter air–and a healthy helping of Christmas magic.

On the front step lying atop a thin layer of snow were two packages wrapped in beautiful red and green paper. Not a soul could be seen.

I grabbed the parcels and hurried inside. My little sister and I tore open the packages (because, of course they were for us!) and squealed at what we saw: Warm, fuzzy pajamas for each of us.

As it turns out, we had been visited by the Christmas Elf. My dad explained that the Christmas Elf was one of Santa’s helpers who delivers pajamas to little girls who need to get ready for bed and go to sleep before Santa could come. We didn’t need to hear another word.

As quick as we could, we put on our pajamas, brushed our teeth and went to bed. I don’t remember what presents I received that year on Christmas morning, (and I’m sure they were lovingly and thoughtfully selected by my parents–er, Santa).

But I’ll always remember the thrill of the visits from the Christmas Elf. For several years after that, we’d get a package of new pajamas on the front step. We were always surprised and excited. Warm pajamas don’t have to be expensive (they don’t even have to be new, so long as they’re new to the child and in good condition).

If those same pajamas were under the tree with the rest of our presents, we probably wouldn’t have cared. I know we wouldn’t remember them. My parents knew how to turn even the leanest of Christmases into something wonderful for their two little girls–and one big part of it was those pajamas delivered with love.

If you’re looking to keep up the excitement and magic of Christmas with your young children but are looking to save money, one thing you could consider is employing a Christmas Elf.

The elf (usually a neighbor) loves the idea and is thrilled to help. Be sure to have both parents in the same room as the children when the elf knocks, by the way! I don’t have kids now, but you can bet once they get old enough to understand what’s going on, the Christmas Elf will once again visit my home.

One Response
to “A visit from the Christmas Elf”

I just wanted to tell you that I was inspired by your story and we did this a couple nights before Christmas for our son and daughter who are 3 and 1. They were so thrilled! I think this will become a new tradition for us; thanks so much for sharing!

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Hey! I'm Kacie, wife to Shane and mother to Jonathan (7), Vivienne (5) and Amelia (2) . I write about my family's finance: how we save money, improve our spending, and plan for the future.

I hope I can inspire and encourage you to improve your situation. See disclosure.